Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, October 5, 2022 -- THREE
~ Letters to the Editor ~
Spiritually Speaking
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Correction
Last week The Gazette
Times left off the name of
the letter to editor “Know
who you’re hiring.” The
author was Cheyenne Rog-
ers, Heppner, OR
Grateful for care
at PMH
using her political power
to strong arm and pressure
support for her self-serving
agendas. One who uses
“homelessness” and “hous-
ing shortages’, real crises
affecting real people as
campaign catch-phrases
even though they were not
important issues to her at
any point during her 20
years in legislature. (ore-
gonlive.com, Betsy John-
son: unaffiliated Oregon
Governor Candidate would
bring longtime skepticism
about government to the
job, September 26, 2022).
I implore you,
please do your research.
Read the above cited article.
And vote with your heart
and mind.
(s)Cheyenne Rogers
Heppner, OR
To the Editor:
I’d like to let everyone
know about the wonder-
ful service I received at
Pioneer Memorial Hos-
pital. Dr. Jeffrey Westin,
Destiny and their team
provided great care for me,
Gayla Jones. They chatted
and kept us company as
we waited. My son and
granddaughter were there
to support me and were
impressed with the facil-
ity. I’m grateful and felt
comfortable and well cared
To all Conservatives
for. “
Gayla Jones
Not the phonies
Heppner, OR
To the Editor:
To all Conservatives. The
Please vote smart
real ones. Not the phonies.
To the Editor:
Last week when Ones whose cornerstone
I wrote abut the top three values are the Constitution,
gubernatorial candidates, the rule of law, and institu-
I thought I had discovered tions that make those pos-
Betsy Johnson’s most ap- sible. When are you going
to take your Party back?
palling vote:
“In favor of abor- Yes, you who used to call
tion at all stages of preg- yourselves Republican be-
nancy, up to the baby’s first fore your brothers and sis-
ters swallowed the Kool-
breath.”
Sadly, I was hor- Aid of Putin’s puppet. And
rifically wrong. Now, Ms. you, who still hold onto
Johnson doesn’t have any the Republican label, just
children, so I can’t expect because you have no place
her to think or feel like else to go. A political par-
parent. That is her choice ty without a moral core
for her life and I have no grounded in reality, not
judgment or opinion on self-delusion, eventually
that. However, the state self-destructs.
she wants to represent as I am no fan of Joe Biden.
governor has millions of But he did identify Vlad-
parents and children. Chil- imir Putin as a war crimi-
dren who are the future of nal. Donald Trump called
their families, their cities him a “genius.” What do
and counties, our state, and you think?
The big lie that Trump
our country.
Therefore, it is won the election worked
impossible for me to con- well. Now it’s a litmus test
ceive that any human could/ for “real” Republicans. It
would vote against a bill didn’t matter that when it
that bans infanticide. Spe- came time to produce evi-
cifically SB 586 which is dence in open court, there
currently in senate commit- was none. Believing mat-
tered more than evidence.
tee on health care:
“Banning infanti- Intelligence has nothing to
cide. Requires health care do with it.
practitioner to exercise Why was selling the fraud
proper degree of care to so easy? Because the lie
preserve health and life of a was aimed at minds who
child born alive after abor- want to be lied to. Even
tion or attempted abortion.” Donald Trump was booed
J o h n s o n v o t e d when he told people to get
vaccinated. When you in-
Nay!
Let’s begin with the vite people like that into
obvious (well, obvious to your party, the lunatics
me, anyway). As a mother eventually take over the
and Nana to my own and asylum. The ones who
bonus children and grand- know better, but are in the
children. . .each one more game to get power, have no
precious to me than oxygen. choice but to bobble their
. .My first question would heads along with loonies.
be why on earth would leg- Courage only makes you a
islation such as this even be target. Just ask Congress-
written in order to be voted woman Liz Cheney. That
on?? Even every single pro- is why the Republican Par-
choice person I’ve spoken ty today has so few moral
to (which is a considerable leaders. Who’s following
number!) considers this them?
The joke is anyone who
murder!
Secondly, what challenges the delusion is
possible discussion could called a “RINO.” The fact
be had to convince some- is: many real Republicans
one to vote against such have already left.
legislation, thus essentially James Tweed
mandating that health care Ocean City, NJ
practitioners kill a baby
A little too Woke?
born alive? A doctor whose
To the Editor:
oath states, in part, “First
Twice in recent days or
Do No Harm.”
weeks, I have mentioned
I pray with my
to someone that the world,
whole heart that Ms. John-
and especially Oregon, and
son not only fails in her bid
maybe even my church at
to be our next governor, but
the upper levels, have be-
that she never holds public
come a little too WOKE
office again. If we can’t
for me. In both cases, they
trust her to hold the best in-
seemed to zero in on ho-
terests of our most precious
mosexuality as the likely
and fragile demographic at
cause of my concern. But
its greatest height, how can
that is not the case.
we expect her to hold any
I googled woke to be
of our interests at heart.
sure I knew what the word
Furthermore, the
meant in an objective
last thing Oregon needs
sense. It seems to be relat-
as governor is a person
ed to race and Marx Criti-
who has spent two decades
cal Social Justice Theories.
When I talk about
WOKE, I’m thinking
about a number of differ-
ent beliefs being pushed
on society recently, es-
pecially the last two or
three years. It includes
the belief that America is
irredeemably racist and
all white people are white
supremacists and all black
and brown people are
victims with no chance
of succeeding. (There is
plenty of evidence to dis-
prove the latter statement.
Don’t think it’s possible to
prove or disprove the for-
mer.) We’re living on sto-
len land. (Controversial—
indigenous peoples didn’t
own land and fought each
other over it even before
white people came, just
as had been done by most
peoples throughout the
world for centuries, and it
seems possible no one in
the world is NOT living on
stolen land.) Men can be-
come women, and women
can become men. Men
who identify as women
have a right to compete
against biological women
in sports (in spite of their
superior size and muscle
strength gained with tes-
tosterone surges during
puberty.) Men who iden-
tify as women should be
allowed in wom-en’s re-
strooms, locker rooms,
even prisons, even before
surgery, even after wom-
en have been victims of
rape in these settings.
Black and brown people
are targeted by police and
at greater risk from them
than from criminals—and
racism is the only possi-
ble reason they are over
represented in the prison
system. (Loss of fathers in
the home couldn’t possibly
be a serious contributor.)
All this seems more de-
signed to turn us against
each other and create chaos
than it does to solve prob-
lems. And there seems to
be no room to disagree
with the WOKE narrative,
or discuss it. You are a bad
person if you question any
of it.
An interview I listened
to on the internet expressed
this better than I ever could:
Speaker 1: “The woke
brigade categorizes them-
selves as liberals, but
there’s nothing liberal
about that mentality. But
when you have a cancel
culture which is driven
by if you don’t agree with
what I say, you’re going to
get shamed, vilified, can-
celed, fired, maybe even
imprisoned. That is actu-
ally what fas-cist regimes
do.”
Speaker 2: “Yeah, but the
fascists are more straight
forward about it, cause
they basically come out
with something like, ‘Shut
up, or we’ll beat you,’
whereas the compassionate
types, they come out and
say, ‘Well, we’re really try-
ing to save the world and
we’re acting in everyone’s
best interests, so we just
think it would be better if
you regulate what you say,
and if you don’t you’re
not a good person.’” And
you’ll be shamed, vilified,
etc.
Speaker 1: Piers Morgan
Speaker 2: Jordon Peter-
son; I hope you see the
accuracy of the message,
even if you don’t like the
speakers.
Sandra Johnson
Heppner, OR
Good News Only by Doris Brosnan
After a couple of dashed hopes of visiting classmate and
friend Ferne Healy in Roseburg, I was able to enjoy a
couple of days with her and husband, Mike, a week ago.
‘Twas my luck, also, to meet some of Ferne’s friends
because they needed a substitute pinochle player the day
I arrived. A walk-about in downtown Roseburg was a
first; I enjoyed browsing small, independent shops. I felt
as though I was missing something when I first arrived
in Roseburg, but I quickly realized that it was the first
time in months that I was without a melancholy collie
and perky puppy. They stayed in Salem with Darci.
Yes, we will have pizza. This is according to Dawn
Brosnan, who reports that it is true: The plan is for Drew
and Taylor Brannon to buy the business that they will
start running as this year ends and the new year begins.
Both Dawn and Josh will be doing other things, but they
are pleased to know that Heppner will continue to have
pizza. Good luck to all. (A few devoted Old Hags cus-
tomers advise: “Don’t change the sauce.”)
And yes, those determined young women successfully
completed their marathon and half-marathon runs last
weekend in Portland and have the medals to prove it.
(Using maiden names from their HHS days) congratu-
lations go out to Janelle Healy, Kathleen Greenup, Petra
Elguezabal, Jaci Hughes, Amber Peck and Annie Hisler.
And kudos to Joyce Hughes, previously from Heppner,
who successfully joined them.
Trevor Nichols, HHS graduate, son of Russ and Toni
Nichols, has done it again. Trevor is receiving recogni-
tion for being an important member of the men’s EOU
cross-country team that has “surged into the top 10 in
the nation,” as reported by the “East Oregonian”. The
team is presently ranked sixth, the highest since 2017.
Trevor is credited for being part of a duo “who have
been the proverbial tip of the spear….” Kudos, Trevor.
Janet Greenup and her family were relieved when she
came home from St. Anthony’s Hospital in Pendleton
last Friday, after a bout with blood clots in her lungs. Re-
covery will be slow, they have been told, but Janet is de-
termined, as demonstrated by her attendance at church
last Sunday.
If you enjoy smiling with the contributors to this col-
umn, think of the smiles you can bring to faces if you
send your tidbit to dbrosnan123@gmail.com or call
541-223-1490.
Here’s hoping that some good news comes to everyone
reading this.
Marriage Licenses
Send engagement and wedding announcements to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net.
Marriage Licenses Issued On September 12, 2022:
CASTRO LANDEROS, ESTELA ARACELY (18)
FLORES
RESENDIZ, PEDRO (27)
80839 WAGON WHEEL LOOP
80839
WAGON WHEEL LOOP
IRRIGON, OR 97844
IRRIGON,
OR 97844
REA, JASON MICHAEL (20)
ASHBECK,
MADISON RHEA (19)
63201 HOWTON LANE
69425
LITTLE BUTTER CREEK RD.
IONE, OR 97843
ECHO,
OR 97826
Father Thankachan Joseph
St. Patrick Catholic Church Heppner
Gratitude is an art of human life
In both the Old and New Testaments, God
laments over man’s ingratitude: “Hear, O heavens, and
listen, O earth, for the LORD speaks: Sons have I raised
and reared, but they have disowned me! An ox knows its
owner, and an ass, its master’s manger; But Israel does
not know, my people have not understood. Ah! Sinful
nation, people laden with wickedness, evil race, corrupt
children! They have forsaken the LORD, spurned the
Holy One of Israel and apostatized” (Isaiah; 1:2-4). “He
came to what was his own, but his own people did not
accept him” (John 1:11). Who among us is not grateful
for the numerous blessings that we receive in our day-
to-day lives. From dawn to dusk, we receive abundant
blessings from the Lord, but how do we respond to Him?
God desires gratitude from us for the many blessings we
receive and feels pain at our ingratitude.
The Second book of Kings (5:14-17) describes
the pagan Naaman (king of Damascus and captain of the
king of Syria’s army) at his healing from leprosy through
the power of Yahweh. When the prophet Elisha refused
to accept Naaman’s costly gifts as reward for the healing,
the grateful Naaman asked the prophet’s permission to
take two loads of Israelite earth with him from Yahweh’s
land, for building an altar in Damascus so as to pray to
Yahweh on Israelite soil. The grateful Naaman promised
that he would accept Yahweh as his only God and offer
holocausts to Him in thanksgiving for the healing.
This week’s Gospel story from Luke 17:11-19
tells us of a gentile leper (a “Samaritan-foreigner”) who
returned to thank Jesus for healing him, while nine Jew-
ish lepers went their way under the false impression that
healing was their right as God’s chosen people. They did
not seem indebted for the singular favor they had received.
Instead, they hurried off to obtain a health certificate from
the priests. “Where are the other nine?” Jesus asked the
gentile leper. “Did only one come back to say ‘thank
you?’” We are reminded that faith and healing go hand-in-
hand. Faith prompted Naaman to plunge himself into the
waters of the Jordan River, and faith in Jesus prompted the
lepers to present themselves to the priests. The scripture
readings remind us of the following life values that we
need to put into practice.
1) Learn to be thankful to God and to others. Al-
though we receive so much from God, we often take it
for granted. We allow negatives like health problems,
financial worries, conflict with a neighbor or co-worker
or spouse to hide the blessings we receive. And we are
often thankful only when we compare ourselves with less
fortunate people. In times of need, we pray with desperate
intensity; but as time passes, we forget God. Many of us
fail to offer grace before meals or allot a few minutes of
the day with family to thank the Lord for the numerous
blessings he has showered upon us. God gave us His only
Son, but we seldom give Him thanks. Similarly, we owe
a great debt of gratitude to many other people, but we
often fail to thank them sufficiently.
2) Celebrate the Holy Eucharist as the supreme
act of thanksgiving: The Greek word “Eucharist” means
“profoundly religious” and “thoroughly spiritual thanks-
giving.” When we worship together, we are thanking
God for the great gift of His Son, whose sacrifice formed
us into the People of God, and for the gift of the Spirit,
through which we bring the presence of the Lord to others.
Saying thanks to God with the parish community, sharing
our time, talents, and blessings in the parish and sharing
the heavenly bread of thanksgiving, the Holy Eucharist, is
the least forms of thanksgiving we can offer every Sunday
in response to God’s blessings.
3) Realize the truth that we all need healing from
our spiritual leprosy. Although we may not suffer from
physical leprosy, we may suffer from “spiritual leprosy”
of sins, which makes us unclean. Externally, we all look
beautiful and handsome, but inside we need a thorough
cleansing. Jesus wants to heal us from this leprosy of sin.
Since Jesus is not afraid to touch our deepest impurities,
let us not hide them. Just as the lepers cried out to Jesus
for healing, let us also ask Him to heal us from the spiritual
leprosy of sins including impurity, injustice, hatred, and
prejudice. May He bless us all with this spiritual healing.
Elks’ golf tournament
Raises donations
The Heppner Elks spon-
sored a “very successful
benefit golf tournament at
the Willow Creek Country
Club” on September 24.
Over $2,300 was raised
for a donation to the Ore-
gon State Elks Children’s
Eye Clinic.
This was the 25th
year for the annual tour-
nament which was head-
ed up by Marvin “Marty”
Brannon, a Heppner Lodge
#358 member, PER, and
local businessman. This
was the 25th year for the
tournament, which
Mr. Brannon chaired for the
past 14 years with the help
of local Elks members.
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